This invention relates to slide calipers in which the relative movement of the two jaws is transmitted through intermediate gearing to a digital counter and indicator, and particularly to means for eliminating errors in measurement by such calipers due to backlash in the gearing.
In conventional arrangements for eliminating backlash in such calipers a coil-spring is provided between a gear rotatably engaging a pinion shaft meshing with a rack and said pinion shaft itself. A slight rotational movement is thereby imparted to the pinion when the latter meshes with the rack, thus eliminating backlash between the pinion and rack. When such a spring is provided between the gear and pinion shaft two gears are needed and it is therefore impossible to make the device as compact as desired. The present invention is intended to overcome this difficulty.